Desert date, Soapberry tree

Where does Desert date grow?

Found in: Africa, Algeria, Angola, Arabia, Asia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands Antilles, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Pakistan, Palestine, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Sahara, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Notes: There are 9 Balanites species. They are also put in the family Balanitaceae. Chemical composition (Sudan sample, edible portion [after Henry & Grindley]): Protein = 3.3%. Fat = 0.1%. Carbohydrate = 52.7%. Fibre (crude) = 2.1%. Ash = 4.0%. Ca0 = 0.08%. P2O5 = 0.10%. Moisture = 37.8%. Kcal = 231; (kernels): Protein = 27.5%. Fat = 46.5%. Carbohydrate = 11.1%. Fibre (crude) = 1.5%. Ash = 2.9%. CaO = 0.16%. P2O5 = 1.00%. Moisture = 10.5%. Kcal = 591; (oil): Specific gravity at 100 C . = .88919. Saponification value = 186.5. Iodine absorption = 99.2. Melting point about = 8o C. Chemical composition (Sudan after Abdelmuti): Protein (crude) = 5.1% (dry). Fat = 0.4% (dry). Ash (insoluble) = 21.2% (dry). Fibre (crude) = 2.8% (dry). Carbohydrate (soluble): Starch = 30.1% (dry). Sugars: Sucrose = 5.8% (dry). D-glucose = 20.6% (dry). D-fructose = 10.1%. Amino acids (g [16g N]-1): Aspartic acid = 5.1g. Threonine = 2.5g. Serine = 2.0g. Glutamic acid = 6.3g. Proline = 35.8g. Glycine = 3.3g. Alanine = 3.5g. Valine = 2.7g. Cysteine = 1.0g. Methionine = 1.0g. Isoleucine = 2.7g. Leucine = 4.1g. Tyrosine = 2.2g. Phenylalanine = 2.7g. Lysine = 1.6g. Histidine = 1.2g. Arginine = 2.4g. Sulphur = 0.10% (dry). Potassium = 0.04% (dry). Magnesium = 0.10% (dry). Calcium = 0.12% (dry). Na = 0.02% (dry). Zinc = 10 mg/kg-1 (dry). Iron = 620 mg/kg-1 (dry). Manganese = 3 mg/kg-1 (dry). Copper = 2 mg/kg-1 (dry).

Status: The fruit are eaten especially by children. It is an important food in desert areas. Fruit tend to be available in the drier more hungry season. Fruit are sold in local markets.

Growing Desert date, Soapberry tree

Cultivation: It is grown from seed. Seed can be grown in a nursery in pots, or direct. Root suckers can also be used. There are 600-1,200 seed per kg. Seed removed from the fruit can be stored for a year. Seed should be down vertically with the stem end down for best results. Seeds germinate in 1-4 weeks. Soaking the seed helps them germinate. They can be soaked in cold water for 2 days with the water being changed after 24 hours. Seedlings are slow growing but root suckers are faster.

Edible Uses: The nut or seed is used to make meal. The seeds are boiled in several changes of water then eaten with sorghum. A yellow oil is produced by the seeds after long boiling and is eaten. The fruit and dried pulp are eaten. The fruit is bitter unless very ripe. The fruit are used for syrup and alcoholic drinks. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. The leaves and flowers are eaten as a vegetable. The resin from the cut bark is chewed.

Production: (The fruit can be used to treat water supplies to kill the snail hosts of Bilharzia, and the water-flea which carries Guinea worm disease.) Trees produce after 5-8 years. Fruit mature in 60 days. In Tanzania fruit are collected between April and June. A good tree can produce 10,000 fruit in one year. Ripe fruit can be sun dried and stored. Seed kernels can be 60% oil.

Nutrition Info

Desert date, Soapberry tree Photos

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